Control apparatus



0. P. HIPPLE. CO NTROL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6,1917.

Patented Sept. 27, 1921.

INVENTOR O/iver I? /-//,'0,0/e

ATTORNEY UNITED. 531' PATENT F1 OLIVER P. HIPILE, OFWILKINS TOWNSHIP,ALLEGHENY COUNTY; IBENNSYLVANIA,

'ASSIGNOR- TOWESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A COR PORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CONTROL APPARATUS.

Specification ofLetters Pat ent.- Patented Sept. 27, 1921.

Application filed July 6, 1917. Serial No. 178,909.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, OLIVER P. HIPPLE, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident to controllers of theswitchgroup type.

The object of my invention isto provide.

an apparatus of the above-indicated char acter having a rotatablemember'together 'with sets of stationary. and movable coniary apparatusfor selectively effecting longitudinal disengagement of certain contactmembers, dependent upon the extent of rotative movement (of therotatable member.

More specifically stated, it isthe object of my invention to provide aplurality of contact-directing members that are rotatable with, andlongitudinally movable on, an operating shaft, in conjunction with cammeans for producing predetermined longitudinal movement of thecontact-directing members to openthe corresponding electric circuits.

My invention may best be understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawing,

wherein Figure 1 is a view, chiefly in front elevation and partiallyinsection, of control apparatus constructed in accordance with mypresent invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevational view, partially insection, of a Fig. 1;-Fig'.- 3 is a transverse sectional view taken onthe line III-III of Fig. 2; Fig. 4' is an interior view, in endelevation, of another part of the structure that is illustrated' in Fig.1; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view, inside elevation, of'a modified formof'the invention; and Fig. dis a view in side elevation of a furthervportion of the apparatusthat is shown in Fig- 1.

Referring to Fig. lto Fig.4, inclusive, of the drawings, the apparatusshown comprises a suitablefr'ame or incasing member having an uppershelf or supporting plate 1 and end brackets or plates2 and 8 of thegeneral class that is familiar in: switch groups? of the railway-type,and a rotatable shaft 4 that is mounted in the lower portlon of theend-plate and between which .shaft and the supporting plate 1 apluralityof sets of stationary and movablecontaot members 5 are positioned; anactuating mechanism 6 for the rotatable shaft 4; and

stationary cam means? for a governing purpose to be set forth.

The shaft 4 is provided with a plurality of suitablyspaced longitudinalgrooves or key-ways 8 that correspond to the respective sets-of contactmembers 5 and are em V ployed 1n c0n]unct1on therewith, in a manner tobe hereinafter fully set forth. tact members governed thereby, and2L11X1l.

The sets of contact members 5 severally comprise a stationary terminalor tip 10 which is rigidly secured to the supporting plate 1 by means ofbolts and nuts 11, for example, and a movable terminal or tip 12 .whichis preferably provided with slotted surrounds the rotatable shaft 4, theother end of the spring being held stationary through the agency of acollar 18 which is pinned to the shaft 4 at 19. The cam plate 15 isadapted for rotative movement with I the shaft 4, either by means ofakey-andslot connection or by being rigidly secured tothe spring 17, andis also longitudinally movable on or'slidable along the shaft 4, portionof the apparatus that is shown in being normally biased to theillustrated operative or contact-permitting position by the spring 17. ca

The actuating mechanism 6 forms no material part of my present inventionand may be of any familiar type, or, if desired, the

shaft 4 may be manually actuated. The preferred 'mechanismis that setforth and claimed in a patent granted to N. W. Storer and jA. J. Hall,No. 1,229,543, dated June 12, 1917 and assigned to the WestinghouseElectric & Manufacturing Company, and comprises, in general, a pinion 25which is rigidly secured to the shaft 4 outside of the bracket 3 andmeshes with a'horizontallymovable rack :rnember 26 which is actuated lby pistons (not shown) that travel within suitable cylinders orinclosing members 27. The actuating mechanism 6 may conveniently bepositioned upon the end-bracket 3 by means of bolts 28. V

The cam means 7 is shown as embodying a cylindrical incasing member orbox 30 which may be attached to the outer side of the end-bracket 2 bybolts 31 and is in teriorly provided with a plurality of annular camsurfaces 32, 33 and 34 of wave-like edge contour, the cam surfaces beingof dissimilar shape or angular position, dependent upon the desiredaction thereof, and being equal, in number, to the illustrated sets ofcontact members 5.

The purpose of the cam surfaces 32, 33 and 34 is to actuate a pluralityof rods or slidable members 85, 36 and 37, respectively, that arelocated in the circumferentiallydisposed grooves or key-ways 8 of theshaft 4. The contact between the cam surfaces and the rods is preferablyeffected through the medium of rollers 38, 39 and 40, respectively, forthe familiar purpose of reducing friction. correspond in length to thedistance between the respective cam surfaces 32, 33 and 34 and therespective setsof contact members 5, each rod being provided with anoutwardly-projecting tip 41 for positively bearing against therespective cam plates 15,

as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

For holding the several slidable rods in the respective grooves andstill permitting ready longitudinal movement thereof, an inclosingcollar or band 42, secured by a pin 43 to the shaft 4, may be provided.The other stationary collars 18 also serve a similar function, as willbe evident from F ig; 1.

Assuming the various parts of my control apparatus to occupy theillustrated positions, the operation thereof may be set forth asfollows: Upon rotative movement of the mechanism 6, or otherwise, theseveral cam plates 15 are rotated with the shaft to effect apredetermined sequence of closure of the respective movable contactmembers 12 in accordance with the contour of the cam plates, as will beunderstood, thereby closing any desired electrical circuits which it isunnecessary to illustrate or describe here. Upon a predetermined extentof rotative movement of the shaft 4 and, therefore, of

' the several slidable'rods 35, 36 and 37, one

or more of the rod-rollers 38, 39 and 40 is engaged by alongitudinally-extending or crest portion of the wave-like cam surfaces32, 33 and 34, respectively, to thereby longitudinally actuate thecorresponding slidable rod and the associated cam plate 15 along theshaft 4 in opposition to the action of the spr1ng'17, until the camplate 15. is

The slidable rods 35, 36 and 37 completely disengaged from the alliedroller 14, thereby effecting a quick separation of the correspondingstationary and movable contact members 5. i

As the shaft 4 is further rotated, the other slidable rods are similarlyactuated by the corresponding stationary cam surfaces 32, 33 and 34, andthe associated cam plates 15 are similarly moved in a longitudinaldirection to produce an interruption of the electrical circuits governedby the corresponding contact members 5.

Although, for the sake of simplicity and clearness, I have illustratedonly three sets of contact members and three stationary cam surfaces inthe cam means 7, it will be understood that neither the number, nor therelative nor actual contour of the cam surfaces, nor the number ofswitching devices is material to the present lnvention. Furthermore, anyother type of contact-directing member, such as the familiar arcuatewherein the modification shown comprises a rotatable shaft 50,corresponding to the previously-described shaft 4, which is journaled inthe end-brackets 2 and 3. The contact directing member or cam plate 51,in the present instance, is provided with a lateral cam surface 52comprising one or more curved lugs or wave-like portions 53 for apurpose to be set forth. The cam plate is provided with a hub 16 and abiasing spring 17 which is positioned by a stationary collar 18, as inthe structure shown in the preceding figures and already described.

A longitudinally-extending stationary rod 54 is mounted in theend-brackets 2 and 3, and a suitable number of guides or blocks 55,which are preferably provided with contact rollers 56 are affixed alonthe rod 54 shaft 4, through the agency of the actuating 9 h for thepurpose of engaging the cam surfaces 52 of the respective cam plates 15,

only one of which is shown.

As the operation of the structure shown in Fig. 5 is similar to thatpreviously set forth, only a brief description thereof will benecessary. Normally, the cam plate 51 is biased by the spring 17 to theillustrated contactpermitting or roller-engaging position, correspondingto the position illustrated in Fig. 1. Under such conditions, adepression or trough of the cam surface 52 engages the contact roller 56of the guide 55. Upon a predetermined degree of rotative movement of theshaft 50, however, a longitudinal proect on or crest 53 of the camsurface 52 engages the contact roller 56, whereby the cam plate 51 isactuated toward the right, in opposition to the action of the spring 17,to (Ef ect disengagement of the cam plate from the roller 14 and thusproduce a quick separation of the corresponding contact members.

I do not wish to be restricted to the specific structural details orarrangement of parts herein set forth, as various modifications thereofmay be effected without depart ing from the spirit and scope of myinvention. I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall beimposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. Control apparatus comprising a plurality of sets of stationary andmovable contact members, means for actuating said movable contactmembers in a certain direction, and means for selectively effectingdisengagement of said contact members by moving said actuating means ina direction transverse to said certain direction.

2. In control apparatus, the combination with a rotatable member, and aplurality of sets of stationary and movable contact members associatedtherewith, of means for actuating said movable contact members, andmeans for selectively effecting longitudinal movement of said actuatingmeans to disengage said contact members, under predetermined conditions.a

3. In control apparatus, the combination with a rotatable member, and aplurality of sets of stationary and movable contact members associatedtherewith, of means adapted for both rotative and longitudinal actuationfor actuating said movable contact members, and means dependent upon theextent of rotative movement thereof for effecting such longitudinalactuation.

4. In control apparatus, the combination with a rotatable member, and aplurality of sets of stationary and movable contact members associatedtherewith, of means adapted for both rotative and longitudinal actuationfor actuating said movable contact members,

longitudinally-acting means rotatable with the actuating means, andstationary means cooperating with said longitudinally-acting means foreffecting disengagement of certain contact members.

5. In control apparatus, the combination with a rotatable member. and aplurality of sets of stationary and movable contact members associatedtherewith, of means adapted for both rotative and longitudinal actuationfor actuating said movable contact members, a slidable member forlongitudinally engaging one of said actuating members,

and stationary cam means cooperating with said slidable member foreffecting longitudinal movement thereof, under predetermined conditions.

6. In control apparatus, the combination with a rotatable member, and aplurality of sets of stationary and movable contact members associatedtherewith, of means adapted ary cam means cooperating with said slidablemembers for selectively effecting longitudinal movement thereof.

7. In control apparatus, the combination with a rotatable shaft having alongitudinal groove, of a contact-directing member rotatively movablewith the shaft and longitudinally movable thereon, a rod slidable insaid groove for engaging said member, and stationary cam meanscooperating with said rod for effecting longitudinal movement thereof,upon a predetermined extent of rotative movement of said shaft.

8. In control apparatus, the combination with a rotatable shaft having aplurality of spaced longitudinal grooves, of a plurality ofcontact-directing members rotatively movable with the shaft andlongitudinally movable thereon, means for biasing said members tooperative positions, a plurality of rods slidable in the respectivegrooves for engaging the respective members, and stationary cam meanscooperating with said rods for selectively effecting longitudinalmovement thereof against the action of the corresponding biasing means.

9. In control apparatus, the combination with a rotatable shaft having aplurality of spaced longitudinal grooves, of a' plurality ofcontact-directing members rotatively movable with the shaft andlongitudinally movable thereon, means for biasing said members tooperative positions, a plurality of rods slidable in the respectivegrooves for engaging the respective members, and a plurality ofstationary dissimilar cam surfaces cooperating with the respective rodsfor effecting longitudinal movement of the respective members atpredetermined points during the rotative movement of said shaft.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 28th dayof June,

OLIVER P. HIPPLE.

